Hi, I've been T1 for 40 years and my 15 year old son has just been diagnosed. It was the day I've been hoping would never come since I became a mum! Just hoping other parents of T1 teenagers have some advice for me really. It was very different in my day! Hes a big rugby player and is desperatw to carry on playing. We cuaght it so early thar he presented my pther symptoms other than thirst and qeeign alot for a couple of days so hasnt been unwell at all, no ketones. Its ve lovely to talk to some other parents.Thanks x
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T1 with newly diagnosed teenager
- Thread starter LuciTC
- Start date
Thebearcametoo
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Parent
Hi I have a 14 year old although he’s not at all sporty. No reason yours can’t keep playing rugby. It will be a bit of a learning curve but we have a few members on here who play and there are professional rugby players who have e type 1.
The thing that my teen finds hardest is the grind of it all. He’s now on a looped pump and sensor so that’s taken a lot of the work out of the day to day but changeover days for the cannulas etc can be difficult. I try to go with the flow and sometimes that means reverting to pen for a day and guesstimating how much extra fast acting to give to cover basal too and things like that. My principle is that if he’s engaging in some way with his diabetes and doing some insulin somehow then it’s all ok.
Depending where you are pump funding can be more difficult with older teens but they should be able to wrangle it it just may take time.
The training and info that you get from paeds is great and they’re there to support you as well as your kid.
It’ll be interesting for you to see what gaps there are in your knowledge as things have changed over the years.
The thing that my teen finds hardest is the grind of it all. He’s now on a looped pump and sensor so that’s taken a lot of the work out of the day to day but changeover days for the cannulas etc can be difficult. I try to go with the flow and sometimes that means reverting to pen for a day and guesstimating how much extra fast acting to give to cover basal too and things like that. My principle is that if he’s engaging in some way with his diabetes and doing some insulin somehow then it’s all ok.
Depending where you are pump funding can be more difficult with older teens but they should be able to wrangle it it just may take time.
The training and info that you get from paeds is great and they’re there to support you as well as your kid.
It’ll be interesting for you to see what gaps there are in your knowledge as things have changed over the years.
That would be amazing thanks Alan
SB2015
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Henry Slade seems to do alright managing his T1 and playing rugby.
Although you will know how to manage your diabetes, it is still a shock. As you say things have changed so much in the last 20 years, with both the tech and the availability of support through the web. I am really pleased that you have found the forum. There are parents of those with T1 as well as loads of experience to tap into, both practically and emotionally.
Let us know how your son gets on.
Yes it is a completely different game nowadays. I've worked in Diabetes Research specialising in devices for the last 10 years so I'm pretty knowledgeable about everything out there. It's more the psychological effect on him I'm worrying about to be honest. I know there will be good and bad days. It's both a blessing and a curse that I have diabetes as I don't have the learning curve to deal woth but I also know all the horrid things that come with it!
PhoebeC
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hi, yes i have had type 1 now for nearly 20 years, I started playing rugby in 2020. With the libre. I’ve played for 4 years, about a year of that with my Omnipod to.
Before that I was MDI.
I believe Henry Slade uses dexicom and is MDI, he also has a whole team of medical people including dietitian and the England team doctor who help him manage it and play but I was never that lucky.
It was a case for me of changing my background insulin setting for those days, eat well, keep my sweets and supplies nearby on match days. Never lost a pump or libre in any match.
He just needs to get the hang of it
Before that I was MDI.
I believe Henry Slade uses dexicom and is MDI, he also has a whole team of medical people including dietitian and the England team doctor who help him manage it and play but I was never that lucky.
It was a case for me of changing my background insulin setting for those days, eat well, keep my sweets and supplies nearby on match days. Never lost a pump or libre in any match.
He just needs to get the hang of it
Thebearcametoo
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Parent
Paeds have access to a dietician. Ours specialises in sports management and helps look after the more elite sports people in her catchment. Obviously not all paeds dieticians will be experts in sport but they will have a general idea of what helps so @LuciTC use your whole team whilst he’s still under paeds.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Welcome to the forum @LuciTC
Glad you’ve been able to connect with others here.
If you’ve not come across it already Extod might be worth a look, Rob Andrews who is involved in that is a bit of a specialist in T1 and sports.
There were also some hints and tips in some of the early Diabetes Technology Network materials around Libre/CGM which focussed on sports (and lots of other useful stuff too!)
Glad you’ve been able to connect with others here.
If you’ve not come across it already Extod might be worth a look, Rob Andrews who is involved in that is a bit of a specialist in T1 and sports.
There were also some hints and tips in some of the early Diabetes Technology Network materials around Libre/CGM which focussed on sports (and lots of other useful stuff too!)
PhoebeC
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Also as you will learn it is not just about the exercise itself. Training and matches even the same time and activities are 2 very different situations, as is any sport that is competitive. If the same exercise but not in a team, not in competitive matches don't have the same emotions (nervous, excitement), which has a huge impact for some T1's.
My adrenaline levels during match days would send my levels sky high, training I would be more likely to go low. And I have played against another T1 and we had this very conversation, she said until she was closed loop the highs were an issue for her, but now she is HCL that's not an issue as long as she gets back in range with her devices (held by her team mate on the sideline) now and then it would control her levels.
My adrenaline levels during match days would send my levels sky high, training I would be more likely to go low. And I have played against another T1 and we had this very conversation, she said until she was closed loop the highs were an issue for her, but now she is HCL that's not an issue as long as she gets back in range with her devices (held by her team mate on the sideline) now and then it would control her levels.